Lessons From Madame Chic: Book Review: Part 4

Well, here we are. The fourth and final part of my review of “Lessons from Madame Chic”.

LESSONS FROM MADAME CHIC: PART 4

Chapter 15: Practice the Art of Entertainment

Welcoming friends into your home to share a meal is worth the effort. Perfect a recipe or two, put some effort into your appearance, act confident even if you don’t feel it and then relax and have fun.

Chapter 16: Reject the New Materialism

Ignore the message our culture sends which implies that consumerism will solve all your problems. Avoid mindless shopping and impulse purchases by always shopping with a list. Consider a capsule wardrobe with carefully selected quality items. Be sure you can truly afford your purchases. Learn to appreciate what you already have.

Chapter 17: Cultivate Your Mind

In recent years there seems to have taken root in the United States a distrust of intellectuals, experts and “the elite”. Not so, in France, where intelligence is highly revered. The cultivation of the mind is practically a requirement in French culture. Some ways to cultivate your mind include:

read books

read newspapers

watch films

follow the arts

improve your vocabulary

watch less television

travel

take classes

Chapter 18: Find Simple Pleasures

Slowing down enough to appreciate simple pleasures can be difficult in our culture but it can be done. Learn to enjoy the process of your daily tasks and this will go a long way toward bringing more pleasure into your life. Work on adopting a positive attitude. Pay attention to sensory input in order to derive pleasure from your experiences. Try not to rush through your day and learn to be present in the moment.

Chapter 19: Value Quality Above All

Set aside the quest for quantity and learn to value quality in all areas of your life, including:

food

clothing

household goods

experiences

your time

Chapter 20: Live a Passionate Life

This chapter sums up the French lifestyle – life is to be lived with passion. However you choose to live your life, do it with enthusiasm.

And that, my friends, wraps up my review of “Madame Chic…”. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am sure I will dip into it again now and then when I need a little dose of French wisdom. If you’ve read this book I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment.